Strong, Not Tough
by Anne-Marie
Summary: Finished.Spike and Dawn watch an old tape (basically 80s revistied) and Spike has a weird dream because of it.One of my weirder fics.


Author: Anne-Marie peachybean@hotmail.com  
Comments: Most welcome :)  
Summary: Spike gets some advice of source from 80s toons... (I had a Jem and the Holograms marathon the other day, kinda warped my noodle!)  
Rating: PG  
  
  
  
Strong, Not Tough  
  
"Spike you are staying tonight, aren't you?" he looked down into those pleading eyes with every intention of saying no.  
"Of course, Pet, whatcha wanna do?" Her face momentarily lit up with a wide hopeful grin.  
"I was looking through some of B-my old stuff, and I found an old tape. Buffy made it for me; we used to watch it together all the time. Whole bunch of old cartoons and stuff."  
Upon Spike's doubtful look, she continued, breaking out her 'big guns', "It was made in the 80s...You have to like some of it, pleaaaassseee....." She batted her eyelashes at him and pouted.  
Summers women, he just couldn't say no.  
"'Course Nibblet," Dawn bounced up and ran into the kitchen, shouting as she went, "Cool! I'll make the popcorn, set up the tape, it is on the coffee table!"  
Spike walked into the Summers' home, relishing the fact that it was Buffy who invited him back in, he considered it the best present he ever had received. He looked down on the coffee table, spotting the tape; he scooped it up and looked at it. On the label in large somewhat childish scrawl it clearly stated "Dawn's Tape (made by her Big Sis Buffy Summers). Spike gulped the cry caught in his throat. He hadn't expected an emotional response to a little black piece of plastic, but so many things had been causing him the same sort of pain lately. All over Sunnydale (or anywhere, he suspected) he saw reminders of Buffy. The way he saw some girl tilt her head or the way the wind through the trees made him think of the various times he had stood under her window, even McDonald's, made him think of a conversation he had had with her.  
"Popcorn's ready!" Spike nearly jumped out of his skin.  
'come now you nancy boy, toughen up, can't live up to your promise all poofy, can't let the Slayer down'  
"Ready to watch?"  
"Yup!" Dawn said as she splayed herself out on the floor with the popcorn next too her. Grabbing a pillow, Spike joined her on the floor, taking a handful of popcorn as he hit the play button on the remote.   
First thing on the tape was an old Billy Idol video.  
"Buffy and I used to have the biggest crush on him." Dawn giggled  
"Funny, she didn't give me that impression, made me think she hated him rather..."  
"Yeah, she got kind of bitter about him, too many drug rumors, Buffy hated it when someone she loved hurt themselves...." Dawn trailed off remembering another time, when she had hurt herself and Buffy. Quickly she refocused on the TV screen, which was now showing four teenage mutant ninja turtles.  
"Hey wasn't there a movie about those blokes?"  
"Uh-huh"  
"Yeah, I remember now, Dru wanted me to bloody make her some Mutant Ninja Turtles, said they would be all nummy and make good minions. Couldn't get through to her about them being all Hollywood made and all." Dawn laughed at his story "For weeks she would be havin' the minions bringing in turtles, got bloody annoying, had a snappin' one in the tub once. Bloody good grip it had! Had me jumping all over the shower, almost broke my neck! And what was Dru doin'? Askin' if I wanted her to send in one of her ninja turtles to rescue me from the naughty one." Dawn was in outright laughter by the end of Spike's story.  
"Yeah, well...I wasn't laughin' Bite Size, my toe certainly wasn't. Stupid reptile." Spike turned back the TV screen, only to receive one of the biggest shocks of his life, "Talking ponies?!?!? What the Hell?! Maybe the 80s weren't as cool as I thought they were!"  
"Spike! My Little Ponies was my favorite show! Well that and Smurfs."  
"Well papa Smurf I understand, talking ponies....Nibblet, I wonder about you sometimes..."  
"Hey!" Dawn flicked a popcorn at Spike's head, hitting him squarely in the ear.  
The night went one this way as the tape played into the night. Spike hit the rewind button on the tape as it ended, Dawn had fallen asleep a few minutes before. He put the tape away and picked up the sleeping girl, so innocent for one so set apart from the world and yet so experienced in its ways. He hoped she would always be so at ease to fall asleep without worries, he hoped Buffy's sacrifice had not been in vain. Spike tucked her in and quietly crept out of her room and down to Buffy's, he stepped in and inhaled her scent. He sat on her bed, moonlight making all look peaceful, picking up a pillow and sobbed quietly.  
"Spike. Spike"  
"Huh?," He looked up from the pillow, carefully wiping his eyes, not wanting who ever it was to know he had been crying, he was the Big Bad after all. That's when he noticed his hands. They were pink, with green claws. Someone had enchanted him, made him into some sort of baby dragon. He looked up to see who the voice was. All purple in a swath of Lycra and glitter there stood Buffy.  
"Slayer!"  
"No Spike, I am sorry, my name is Buffergy, I was modeled off of the girl you knew. I have her memories and appearance. I am here to show you something. Please take my hand."  
"Pet, this is like that time in Woodstock. 'cause all that sure doesn't explain why I am a little pink dragon. "Spike's speech was accentuated by a small flame that shot out of his mouth, "Bloody hell!?!"  
"Spike, don't you know when you are dreaming?"  
"You mean to say this is a dream?"  
"For you it is, yes."  
"Oh, right then, why do I dream of being a dragon!?!?"  
"Spike...."Buffergy gave him a warning glare.  
Spike stuck out his hand in appeasement and felt a tingle of electricity run through him as she grasped it with in her own.  
"Normally I can not touch anything, but since this is your dream I took the liberty..."  
"Glad to be of service pet. So what's in the lesson plan."  
"Patience Spike, you will see." As she spoke the scenery of Buffy's room blurred, Mr. Gordo flew about in a pink whirl. As suddenly as it had blurred Spike's vision snapped back into focus, causing him to blink his eyes several times. They stood in a large sewer, around them were several young teens, large turtle shells on their backs and masks of varying colors around their eyes.  
"We are the Teenage-Mutant-Planeteers! Earth! Fire! Wind! Water! Heart!"  
"This is my bloody dream? I don't want credit for this!"  
Before Buffergy could respond a Ninja in what looked like discarded aluminum cans came in attacking all, until all that was standing was the young girl that had shouted 'Heart' earlier. The two faced off, her eyes focused in determination behind the red mask she wore. From her back, she pulled two short daggers; pointing them at the attacker she flung them at him and shouted "Heart," again. Spike was shocked to see the man pinned to the wall unconscious.  
"How-some kind of magic?"  
"No, Spike," Buffergy spoke, taking Spike's hand again as the girl pulled off her mask to mop her brow. The sewer swirled in Spike's eyes, but not before he saw who the girl was, Dawn. The girl had been Dawn.   
They were back in Buffy's room; Buffergy released Spike's hand and pulled back from him.  
"I have to go now Spike."  
"Wait, what was the lesson?"  
"Good bye Spike," Buffergy said as she bent over Spike and kissed him on his forehead.  
She stepped back and faded from view in a mass of pink sparks.  
"Wait!" Spike shoved himself off the floor, away from the sleeping for of Dawn and back in the view of the television. The tape was still playing.  
"Synergy make me into someone who can never be hurt!"  
A punk in leather replaced the young cartoon woman's features.  
"Kimber, your father had hoped that you would be strong, but I suppose tough will have to do."  
"Oh, Synergy..."The clip was abruptly cut off with another, a white bearded small blue creature replaced the image of the two women.  
"And that my little Smurfs is what we have learned from today's little adventure." Papa Smurf faded from view and was replaced with the cartoon's perky and rather optimistic theme song.  
Spike stopped the tape and picked up Dawn, it was still dark out. 'I can't believe I fell asleep like that,' he thought as he carried her up the stairs and into her room. He walked out of her room and into Buffy's.  
"Cor, Slayer, I guess I know what you wanted me to do for Nibblet now. You were strong, you should have stayed me, I am tough, but Nibblet, she needs to be strong. I will do my best to be strong for her the way I wasn't for you." Spike straightened the bed covers and walked out of her room.  



End file.
